AUXCOMM class

[wuzafuzz]

Has anyone here taken the AUXCOMM class?  I'm not talking about the CG AUX AUXCOM training, but the course designed to teach volunteer organizations with standalone radio systems to better integrate and support served agencies.

An example course announcement is listed here:
http://www.in.gov/ipsc/2673.htm

This course might be offered in my neck of the woods.  The focus appears to be on amateur radio and similar operators, but I'm curious if the course would be useful to CAP.  If so, I might recommend the class to communicators in my wing.  It almost strikes me as COML lite with a little bit of radio geek charm school.

[Private Investigator]

That looks interesting.

We have a local HAM group I wanted to check out. The phone numbers and email addresses did not work but the local paper also mentioned their monthly meeting at a coffee shop. I went and had coffee but no HAM.

Thanks for the heads up.   :clap:

[ol'fido]

A CAP buddy of mine who is also the asst. director of ARES in IL is going up to Springfield at the end of the month for a radio operator's course put on by IEMA that may be the same thing. I will ask him.

[RADIOMAN015]

The ARRL for awhile had a policy paper out regarding institutions utilizing amateur radio for so called internal operations.  They were pressuring the FCC to take hard look at this.   So for example a hospital that had logistics requirements needs to have its' own radio system to communicate with other hospitals and not utilize ham radio.    On the other hand ham radio ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) has the slogan "when all else fails" and it seems reasonable that some sort of plan would be in effect for ham radio operators with their equipment to help out.    Nowadays public safety radio equipment has become so complicated (trunking systems, microwave links, VOIP, etc) that the system could go down.   Interesting our state police still has the low band VHF radio system (simplex & remote base stations on high hills/mountains) licensed and running at all stations & patrol vehicles, because that new 800 mhz trunking system just is too complicated to depend upon if things happen.

Any course you can take that gets you exposure to others and what they are doing can be helpful in the future.
RM   

[ol'fido]

The ARRL for awhile had a policy paper out regarding institutions utilizing amateur radio for so called internal operations.  They were pressuring the FCC to take hard look at this.   So for example a hospital that had logistics requirements needs to have its' own radio system to communicate with other hospitals and not utilize ham radio.    On the other hand ham radio ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) has the slogan "when all else fails" and it seems reasonable that some sort of plan would be in effect for ham radio operators with their equipment to help out.    Nowadays public safety radio equipment has become so complicated (trunking systems, microwave links, VOIP, etc) that the system could go down.   Interesting our state police still has the low band VHF radio system (simplex & remote base stations on high hills/mountains) licensed and running at all stations & patrol vehicles, because that new 800 mhz trunking system just is too complicated to depend upon if things happen.

Any course you can take that gets you exposure to others and what they are doing can be helpful in the future.
RM

The ARRL is fine with hospitals using amatuer radio equipment to communicate in times of emergencies. In fact nearly every hospital here in IL has amateur equipment available. The problem was that the FCC started getting hard nosed about persons with a"pecuniary" interest in a public or commercial venture IOW hospital employees using amatuer equipment to communicate with. This attitude came after the FCC found some large metropolitan PDs using amatuer equipment and freqs for anticrime patrols and auto theft stings in order not to be heard by bad guys using police scanners. the ARRL has been trying to get the FCC to change the rules to allow the hospitals to use amateur radio equipment and freqs. Oh, and those large PDs using the amateur gear...be very careful of the speed limits and all traffic laws if you have an amatuer antenna or ham radio license plates when going through Indianapolis, IN.

[wuzafuzz]

...On the other hand ham radio ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) has the slogan "when all else fails" and it seems reasonable that some sort of plan would be in effect for ham radio operators with their equipment to help out.

I'm a very active ham, but have to admit I despise the "when all else fails" slogan.  Although complicated systems have more potential points of failure, the truth is they are professionally engineered and most will survive plenty of scenarios.  (All our wallets hurt because of that.) Of course nothing is perfect, but the hams who claim they will pick up the slack when the professional systems go down "and they will" are NOT earning us any goodwill in the public safety world.   Of course any auxiliary communicator, ham, CG Aux, MARS, and CAP should be well trained and able to help if the SHTF.  Overall, ARES/RACES is a useful supplement but dreams of picking up the pieces when all else fails are mostly that...dreams. 

Any course you can take that gets you exposure to others and what they are doing can be helpful in the future.
RM

Agreed.

Back to our normally scheduled programming :-)

[wuzafuzz]

As luck would have it, some serious Google searching turned up a class being offered in a few weeks, within an hours drive of home.  Although it's in Wyoming they were receptive to a COWG CAP comm geek crashing their class. 

I'll try to remember to post a course review here after the class.  If it's worthwhile I'll try using my DC super-powers to offer the class for my local CAP communicators.  :-)

[w7sar]

I took the course last month in SLC.  It was taught by three VERY qualified and talented FEMA instructors.  I found the course very worthwhile and I learned a great deal.  Students included several of us from CAP and a number from other agencies as well as operators from various amateur groups.  One thing that impressed me was they required proof you'd taken the required pre-req courses and had a general class or higher license.  The course started promptly on time, went a little over (because we were engaged) and the practical elements were all completed, rather than glossed over.  The three instructors knew their stuff and the concepts taught were very refreshing.  I would highly recommend attending if you can.
Jerry, W7SAR
Utah Wing

[wuzafuzz]

I took the course last month in SLC.  It was taught by three VERY qualified and talented FEMA instructors.  I found the course very worthwhile and I learned a great deal.  Students included several of us from CAP and a number from other agencies as well as operators from various amateur groups.  One thing that impressed me was they required proof you'd taken the required pre-req courses and had a general class or higher license.  The course started promptly on time, went a little over (because we were engaged) and the practical elements were all completed, rather than glossed over.  The three instructors knew their stuff and the concepts taught were very refreshing.  I would highly recommend attending if you can.
Jerry, W7SAR
Utah Wing

Thanks for sharing your experience. 

W7SAR is a very cool call sign!

Eric
N6RFI

[wuzafuzz]

Headed to AUXCOMM training in Denver today.  Looking forward to it, and seeing how it applies to CAP.  At the very least it will be a great networking opportunity with public safety and other auxiliary communicators.

[krnlpanick]

Please let us know how this goes - I am in Denver too and just getting into serious radio now. Starting with BCUT/ACUT then I will look to supp. with other areas.

[ol'fido]

When my aforementioned buddy took this course, he noted several things.

1) Nobody was supposed to wear anything that smacked of amateur radio. No ballcaps with your ham call, radio manufacturer's logos, or radio club logos. Part of the instruction was learning to dress and present yourself in a professional manner. So no cammies, tac pants, safari vests, etc. Khakis and a polo shirt recommended.

2)If you don't know how to use the relevant ICS forms, show up with a hard copy supply of said forms, and a legal pad(ICS Form 202-YP "Yellow Pad"), stay home.

3)Listen to what the IC, LSC, and CUL tell you. If they say they want ONE UHF radio set up in such and such a room, set up ONE UHF in such and such a room.

In other words, be a professional emergency communicator not Goober J. Rubberneck, Rescue Ranger. "You wanna see my Amateur Radio Operator's badge and the cool new light bar I got for my van?"

[Spaceman3750]

"You wanna see my Amateur Radio Operator's badge

Ugh, I just discovered those things exist

http://www.maxarmory.com/index.php?id=641&p=product&parent=0

[♠SARKID♠]

"You wanna see my Amateur Radio Operator's badge

Ugh, I just discovered those things exist

http://www.maxarmory.com/index.php?id=641&p=product&parent=0

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[Eclipse]

"You wanna see my Amateur Radio Operator's badge

Ugh, I just discovered those things exist

http://www.maxarmory.com/index.php?id=641&p=product&parent=0

Now with 25% more wedgie!

[wuzafuzz]

Please let us know how this goes - I am in Denver too and just getting into serious radio now. Starting with BCUT/ACUT then I will look to supp. with other areas.

All done!  The class was interesting.  Our CAP CUL training would do well to borrow from AUXCOMM.  The class covered some things we don't do in CAP, but all the methods taught are valuable to us.

ol'fido's description was pretty close to my experience.  All the necessary forms were provided to us, so no one got sent home.  The focus was on knowledge, not gadgets, so we were instructed to leave uniforms and wannabe accessories at home.  I expected the course would spend a fair amount if time on "ham charm school."  Although the course covered "things not to do" that was not the primary focus. 

We spent a lot of time turning exercise taskings into ICS org charts and ISC 205's.  That's a good thing for people who are new to that. 

Aside from that, there was a lot of emphasis on integrating with other agencies, even to the point of using their radio systems.  Bottom line, auxiliary communicators work for the COML who "hired" them.  Do whatever the COML requests and don't freelance.  Be a team player.

Overall, the course addressed Auxiliary Emergency Communicators (AEC's), not just amateur radio operators.  AEC's can be any trained radio people who help the communications unit at an incident.  Could be CAP, CERT folks, ARES/RACES, MARS, or other similar groups.  Having said that, a general class ham radio ticket was a prerequisite for the class, along with IC100, 200, 700, and 800.

Now I'm going to back to staring at the smoke outside my window from the High Park fire.  It's trying to sneak up on my local CAP repeater!  The evacuation zone is about 2.5 miles form my house now 

[krnlpanick]

Sounds like a pretty good class! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for one after I get through the rest of my training that I have lined up and get some practice. I haven't been on a radio since the old CB'er days hanging out at 'The Perch' with Mighty Mouse and Danzig...

Hopefully they get that fire under control, this has been a very bad year for fires so far - I hope we get a good solid couple weeks of moisture to help us out a bit, otherwise I fear the entire camping season will be smores-free

Stay safe!

[wuzafuzz]

Sounds like a pretty good class! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for one after I get through the rest of my training that I have lined up and get some practice.

Good luck with your training!  Stay tuned to the COWG website, Communications page (behind the login).  Communications training opportunities should be announced there if available to more than a single squadron.  I'm currently working on ideas for a wing-wide communications exercise.   

Also, with any luck we'll offer a Communications Unit Leader training class in the fall.  (Probably in the Fort Collins area, or maybe Denver-ish.)  That will teach the necessary things the SQTR doesn't.  (I will steal some ideas from AUXCOMM.) You can become a CUL with the SQTR alone, but that makes it tough to be a good CUL.